


Business as Usual

by 2pork



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Corporate, Alternate Universe - Office, Biting, Fluff, M/M, Mentioned Wanna One Ensemble, with Fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-09-14
Packaged: 2018-12-29 19:56:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12092304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2pork/pseuds/2pork
Summary: Jihoon is just trying to get by the best he can at work, so it's no wonder some things go flying straight over his head.





	Business as Usual

**Author's Note:**

> Inaccurate portrayal of corporate life. Vague ages, but assume they're in the same age order as irl.
> 
> Not very fluffy, but I really tried?

“Boss,” a familiar voice calls from the other side of his cubicle, and Jihoon is suddenly bombarded with the eye-burningly brilliant sight of Guanlin’s gummy smile peeking over the partition. “Sheriff Park from Product Development is asking when you need the layout for the banner? But less nicely.”

Jihoon frowns, confused. “Sheriff who— Woojin? But... that’s not his job? Please tell the asshole to quit accosting Marketing,” he instructs, holding up one finger, and then adds, “and tell _Daehwi or Minhyun-hyung_  we need it sent to the printers by this afternoon.”

“Aye aye, boss.” Just as Guanlin is about to salute him, Jihoon beats him to the punch.

“Please don’t.”

As if anticipating this, Guanlin shoots finger guns instead. “You got it, boss.”

“Don’t call me boss, either. We’re in the same position, Guanlinnie!” Jihoon whines.

“I’m having fun though.”

“But you were calling me hyung before! It was so cute.” He tries pouting, to which Guanlin grins fondly.

“You’re cuter, boss!”

Jihoon immediately grimaces. “Out.”

 

(But seriously. A salute? Jihoon suspects the intern-stealing hands of Ong Seongwoo behind this.)

 

At a quarter to 7, Jihoon pushes away from his desk and starts packing his laptop and materials into a bright red messenger bag, murmuring the things he’s likely to forget. “Wallet… phone… keys… other keys… business cards…”

“Tie.”

“No, I’m wearing that.” Jihoon waves a hand dismissively.

“I meant your tie is crooked, loser.”

Jihoon blanks out as he’s shoved back, and watches with mild interest as tanned hands fix the knot of his tie with efficiency. A finger tilts his chin up until he’s eye to eye with Woojin. “Huh?”

His confusion intensifies when Woojin starts smoothing down his hair. “Wait, what are you doing—” Warm hands clap against his cheeks and _squeeze._ “ _Owww, gofd hwahf_?”

“All set, Park Sales,” Woojin tells him seriously. “You ready to kill 'em?”

“I’m not killing anyone?”

Woojin rolls his eyes and slings an arm around his shoulders. They walk together to the elevator, with Jihoon finally regaining his senses and chanting the sales presentation under his breath. It isn’t until they reach the company car that Woojin detaches from Jihoon, opening the door at the driver’s side and gesturing inside gallantly.

Jihoon goes bug-eyed at the display, but a glimpse at Woojin’s watch quickly has him scrambling into the car. Right before Jihoon can close the door, Woojin moves into the space and bends down so his head is just inside the car.

“What is it?” Jihoon asks, eyeing the car’s digital clock anxiously.

“One thing. Knock 'em dead.”

 

“Delivery for my second favorite dongsaeng!” Jisung cheers as he plops a brown bag that smells like pastries.

Jihoon looks at the bag, at Jisung, at the bag, and decides that his pride is more important. “When did I get demoted?!” he demands.

Jisung smirks challengingly. “The day your cuteness fell second to our beloved intern Daehwi’s.”

“That is a _lie_! Daehwi would never usurp my throne!”

“Just face it, Jihoonie,” says Jisung. “You’re no longer the fairest on the land.”

Just then, Woojin passes by and Jihoon hooks his hand at the back of his collar and tugs him to a stop. “Park Development! Tell Jisung-hyung he’s a dirty liar!”

“You’re a dirty liar,” Woojin says dutifully, and then points at the bag of pastries. “Can I have some of those?”

“Yeah, go for it,” Jihoon answers, even as he turns to grin at Jisung in triumph.

 

Woojin isn’t at his desk. Jihoon knows this because, when he tries to send their new Sales intern Jinyoung down to get the specs for an unreleased product, Guanlin informs him that he’s already been snatched by Seongwoo’s greedy paws and dragged off to Marketing.

“Guanlin, are you free?” Jihoon ventures hopefully, only to get a sad shake of the head.

“Sorry, Captain,” Guanlin says, projecting gloom. “I want to, but Commander Jaehwan says I can’t leave my desk until this report is finished.”

Captain? _Commander_?

Jihoon throws up his hands with a huff, trudges over to the emergency stairs, and goes down one floor. He’ll deal with Guanlin’s inconsistent character later.

 

Peeking out of the stairwell reveals that the Product Development area seems suspiciously barren. He frowns. “Are they at a meeting…?” Emerging slowly into the workspace, Jihoon strolls to Woojin’s desk and sits on his chair, swinging to one side and another as he waits. Two minutes turn to ten, which turn to thirty, and Jihoon decides that this would go so much faster if he could just... rifle through Woojin’s things.

He reaches towards the neatly organized desk and then swiftly slaps his hands over his face. “No, Jihoon, this is against data privacy guidelines!” he admonishes himself.

Peering through the gaps between his fingers, he ponders where Woojin could have kept the materials he needed. Maybe if he just narrowed it down… isolated the space he needed to search… then again he could have kept it locked in a drawer? Where could the specs be hiding…?

“It’s in my computer.”

Jihoon gasps, covering his eyes more securely. “Park Development!” he cries. “I wasn’t going through your things!”

“I didn’t think you were?” says Woojin wryly. “What are you doing, being all cute here by yourself? Not busy upstairs?”

“I am _so_ busy.” Jihoon frowns behind his hands, feeling defensive. “But more importantly, where were you and how did you know what I was looking for?”

There’s a near imperceptible sigh before Jihoon’s hands are being pulled off his face, Woojin’s fingers curling over his wrists loosely. Jihoon follows the motion curiously.

“Meeting,” Woojin answers, catching Jihoon’s attention. “And it’s a bit hard to miss with you chanting _camera, camera_.”

“I… I was _not_!”

Woojin quirks a grin at him, flashing his snaggletooth. “Yeah, you were.”

Jihoon flushes. “Just— email me the details! I’m going back upstairs!”

 

 _What do you_ mean _they’re not [...]? They’re always together!_

_Cap-[...] is kinda oblivious, I’m surprised [...] can be [...]_

_[...] is always patient [...] comes to Ji-[...]_

_But they_ have _to be dating! I can’t accept this reality where my OTP isn’t canon!_

_Shh! [...] will hear you! And what the hell are you talking a-[...]_

 

Jihoon stops outside the pantry, grasp on his empty coffee mug tightening. He _swears_ his name had been mentioned at least twice just now. Okay, _once_ , and the other time was obviously Guanlin calling him Captain.

Dating?

He’s dating someone? He’s _not_ dating someone?

_Who isn’t he dating?!_

Jihoon runs back to his desk, thoughts of coffee forgotten as the sneaking suspicion of _who_ plays on his mind.

 

Jihoon goes two weeks fending off Woojin’s questions about work, lunch, his _sanity_. “I’m okay!” he screams, throwing Woojin into the emergency staircase and barricading the door.

Sungwoon, the Head of Sales, shakes his head in disappointment. “Other people use those stairs, but okay,” he says. “You do you. Try to resolve this quickly though, we need you to actually communicate with the Product Development Team.”

“Email,” Jihoon says desperately, swivelling to avoid his boss’ eyes of judgment. He power-walks to the pantry, praying for tea to soothe his nerves.

He ignores the raucous advice to “remember that some issues need to be discussed while looking into the other person’s eyes!” being shouted at his back.

The next moment, the elevator opens and a white and black figure tackles Jihoon to the ground. “ _You will fucking talk to me_ ,” is hissed into his ear and Jihoon stills.

 

Catcalls chase the two of them into the elevator and down to the lobby, where Jihoon slaps Woojin in the arm repeatedly. “Tackling! Me! To the floor! In front of everyone!”

“You threw me into the stairwell, you don’t get to talk—incoming!”

They plaster themselves to the wall when a few executives pass through on their way to a late lunch. After their bosses are safely out of company premises, Jihoon backs away from Woojin, glaring. “I told you I had things to think about!”

“And _I_ told you that I’m going to help you think about them, so would you just _quit avoiding me_?” Woojin grabs his arm to keep him close. At least, as close as possible with Jihoon deliberately being uncooperative. “What are you even doing right now? You know you can trust me with your problems, don’t you?” Woojin’s gaze is painfully earnest, and painfully just twists a guilt dagger into Jihoon’s gut, because if Woojin himself is the problem, how does he tell him that?

 

Screw it.

“Everyone at work thinks we’re either dating or like each other and I don’t know if it’s true or if they’re just imagining it. I mean do I even want it to be true?” he rants with rising panic. “Do _you_?!”

Woojin’s face is unreadable up until he pulls a startled Jihoon closer and leans his head on Jihoon’s shoulder. “You fucking idiot,” he groans. “Haven’t I been obvious enough?”

...what.

“Do you think I open doors for everyone in this company, Park Sales? You think I’d call a hyung a dirty liar for just _anyone_?”

Oh.

_Ohhh._

“We aren’t dating though?” Jihoon points out the obvious for lack of something to say.

Woojin shifts and bites the junction between Jihoon’s neck and shoulder chidingly.

“Ow. Okay, my fault.” Jihoon squirms, darting his eyes around. (Because they’re in public? Security cameras? Also what the hell, Woojin bit him and he may have kind of liked it, holy shit?)

Woojin heaves a frustrated sigh and grips both of Jihoon’s arms, pulling away so they can see each other’s faces. “Can you at least consider dating me, Jihoon?”

 

They break apart after that when the elevator opens again. No one alights, so Jihoon wriggles in Woojin’s grasp until his arms are freed, and he feels the warm, intent gaze following him as he dashes for the closing doors.

 

When Jihoon reaches his desk, a big banner proclaiming Congratulations! has been pinned on the partition walls, (the “for 10 years of amazing customer service” was thoughtfully blacked out, though not completely), and his team stand around it with eager smiles.

“I… have to think,” he says lamely, and has to witness their faces pull exaggerated frowns. “Just for a little while,” he amends.

Sungwoon lets out a puffy breath. “Good. Maybe this can be fixed before end of business day and we can all sleep in peace.”

 

So, he thinks.

 

Later that night, after a suspiciously unannounced meeting that starts and ends with Daniel trying not to be obvious in checking his watch, and where they covered basically nothing, Woojin returns to his desk, rubbing tiredly at his shoulders.

Stuck to his darkened monitor is a pink post-it, bearing the message: _I’ve considered it. Meet me in the lobby at 8?_

“Huh.” He grins affectionately at the slip of paper and grabs his bag.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think in a comment!


End file.
